UK’s exports to Israel won’t be used to break international law, minister says

The UK is assured determination are nary exports to Israel which volition beryllium utilized to “commit oregon facilitate a superior usurpation of planetary humanitarian law”, a Foreign Office curate has said.

Anneliese Dodds told the Commons that “most licences” for exports to Israel are not for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), noting that F35 craft components are an exception.

The UK Government has antecedently suspended astir 30 arms exports to Israel implicit concerns they could beryllium utilized successful violations of planetary humanitarian instrumentality successful the Gaza conflict.

Following the September 2 suspension, determination are presently nary extant UK export licences – I volition repetition that again – nary extant export licences for items to Israel we measure mightiness beryllium utilized to perpetrate oregon facilitate a superior usurpation of planetary humanitarian law

Anneliese Dodds

During Foreign Office questions, Ms Dodds said: “Following the September 2 suspension, determination are presently nary extant UK export licences – I volition repetition that again – nary extant export licences for items to Israel we measure mightiness beryllium utilized to perpetrate oregon facilitate a superior usurpation of planetary humanitarian law.

“There’s lone 1 objection which was for F35 (aircraft) components and the Foreign Secretary (David Lammy) explained this to the House.”

She added: “Most licences for exports to Israel are perfectly not for the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) and I’m pleased to beryllium capable to enactment that connected the grounds successful the House.”

Liberal Democrat overseas affairs spokesperson Calum Miller asked whether the Government would halt selling arms to Israel aft a UN envoy had warned that obscurity successful Gaza was safe.

He said: “The attacks saw much than four, 5 residential blocks razed to the ground. Some (people) reached the hospital, immoderate stay nether the rubble. That is the relationship of Dr Eid Sabbah of Kamal Adwan Hospital successful bluish Gaza, which helium gave yesterday.

“I noted the minister’s qualified earlier response, but arsenic the UN peculiar envoy for the bid process warns that obscurity successful Gaza is safe, does the curate hold with maine that helium UK should cease each arms exports to Israel?”

Ms Dodds replied: “I would impulse him to look again astatine what I stated, which stipulated precise intelligibly the ineligible grounds for that determination astir arms exports but besides the clarity astir the information that the restrictions that person been placed connected arms owed to that ineligible regime, which the UK Government was determined to fulfil, are due to the fact that the different licences are not going to beryllium utilized successful the mode that immoderate would suggest.

“We are precise wide astir the request to fulfil our planetary responsibilities successful that regard.”

SNP MP Brendan O’Hara (Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber) asked: “Why is it that this Government tin instantly telephone retired (Russian president Vladimir) Putin’s warfare crimes the infinitesimal they hap but they look utterly incapable of doing that erstwhile the perpetrator is (Israeli premier curate Benjamin) Netanyahu and erstwhile the victims are Palestinians?”

Ms Dodds said: “I bash regret the code of (Mr O’Hara’s) question. He surely tin recognise the prioritisation of this caller Government to bash each that we tin to unafraid the ceasefire that is required.”

Independent MP Imran Hussain (Bradford East) urged the Government to enforce “immediate sanctions connected hard close utmost ministers successful the Netanyahu government”, adding: “The clip for bare promises and hollow words is over.”

Foreign Office curate Hamish Falconer said the Labour Government’s words “have not been hollow” and the Government volition “continue to reappraisal these issues”.

Elsewhere, Labour MP Emily Thornberry called connected the Government to summation enactment for the United Nations Interim Force successful Lebanon (Unifil).

The chairwoman of the overseas affairs committee said: “Today is simply a time erstwhile we perceive that 1 of Unifil’s watchtowers was bombed by the Israeli Defence Forces.”

She added: “What conversations has (the minister) had with his colleagues astir beefing up our enactment of Unifil and taking our unit numbers up from one?”

Mr Falconer replied: “The existent concern is unsustainable, we proceed to rise this done each measures diplomatically successful bid to effort and spot advancement and we volition proceed to bash truthful until determination is progress.”